Chapter 1999: Not Quite

"It's Taiyin Zhenhuo." The skinny old man stroked his beard.

"I knew it!" Ye Chen's eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands eagerly. As a dan refiner, how could he not know about Taiyin Zhenhuo? It was a type of innate yin-attribute true fire, truly unique, with a level that wasn't low at all. In fact, it was far superior to Sanmei Zhenhuo, bordering on the edge of xianhuo. Such a flame was extraordinarily precious.

"Are you interested in Taiyin Zhenhuo?" the skinny old man asked.

"I'm also interested in your Nanming Lihuo." Ye Chen replied, glancing at the skinny old man's dantian sea, where that purple flame burned beautifully. If it were fused into a xianhuo, it would surely be extraordinary.

Under Ye Chen's gaze, the skinny old man shifted uncomfortably to the side.

It was no wonder—Ye Chen's eyes were just too unsettling, making him feel a chill all over. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had been targeted by this guy, who might be plotting to rob him after the auction.

And truth be told, Ye Chen was indeed considering it.

He had done plenty of shameless things before; one more wouldn't hurt.

Still, he was surprised, or rather, baffled. He couldn't understand the purpose behind this auction on Youming Continent. With so many treasures like Taiyin Zhenhuo and Buxiao Xianjin, all of which were heaven-defying rarities, why were they being auctioned off? It seemed incredibly wasteful.

As he pondered, the auction for the small tower came to an end.

The final price wasn't low—it exceeded eighty million and was won by an old Zhundi. However, compared to the Zijin small gourd's price, this tower was still far behind. It was just small-scale bidding.

Subsequently, several other items were auctioned, and they were quite remarkable too.

Yet, despite the abundance of treasures and high bids, none could match the two hundred million yuan stone small gourd. In comparison, the later items seemed rather lackluster and not worth mentioning.

Amid everyone's anticipation, the Youming elder brought out another treasure.

This time, it was a sealed treasure box containing a dan medicine—a genuine Ba Wen Dan, specifically a life-extending one. The rich medicinal fragrance had already filled the entire venue.

At this, the old folks in attendance perked up.

Glancing around, pairs of aged eyes sparkled with fervent light, and some even licked their dry lips, fixated on the treasure box. After all, it was a life-saving elixir.

Ba Wen Dan was rare enough, let alone a life-extending one.

At their age, medicines that prolonged lifespan were far more valuable than magical artifacts or secrets. What was the point of treasures if you were out of time? In the face of death, everything else was meaningless.

"Ba Wen life-extending Jindan," Ye Chen murmured.

As a Dan Saint, he had no trouble recognizing the dan. Among Ba Wen Dan, it was the cream of the crop. Not only was the refining process incredibly complex, but the materials required were extremely hard to find. For elder cultivators, such a dan was priceless.

And now, it was being auctioned, which surprised him again.

He still couldn't figure out the meaning behind Youming Continent's auction. Was it simply a matter of needing money?

As he thought about it, he shifted his gaze from the Ba Wen Dan and scanned the surroundings.

Even from a distance, he could sense the elders' agitation—their hearts were pounding. The skinny old man next to him was the same, as were the Honghuang Zhundi, all licking their lips.

From this scene, he could tell that the upcoming auction would be intense.

"Damn it, if I had known there was a Ba Wen life-extending Dan, I should've brought more money," the skinny old man grumbled.

"Even if you brought more, could you outbid Honghuang?" Ye Chen said casually.

"Bullshit, Youming Continent is really something else." The skinny old man was fuming, pacing with his hands behind his back and muttering, "Taiyin Zhenhuo, Ba Wen life-extending Dan, Buxiao Xianjin—all priceless treasures, and they're selling them? And on top of that, attracting Honghuang. Isn't this just handing gifts to them?"

"You said it yourself: don't judge things by the surface," Ye Chen replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Youming Continent probably has some hidden troubles."

"Let's not talk about useless stuff. Lend me some money for bidding! I'll pay you back for sure." The skinny old man turned his head, looking at Ye Chen with hope. He was an old-timer himself, with little lifespan left, and he needed the dan to extend it.

"Even if I lent you all my money, you still couldn't win the Ba Wen life-extending Dan." Ye Chen shook his head with a smile.

"How will I know without trying?" The skinny old man refused to give up.

Ye Chen didn't respond. Instead, he handed the skinny old man a scroll. It was covered in dense writing, listing all sorts of dan-refining materials—over ten thousand in total.

"What's this?" the skinny old man asked, puzzled.

"The materials needed to refine a Ba Wen life-extending Dan." Ye Chen took a sip of wine. "Gather all these, and I'll refine one for you."

"You're a dan refiner?" The skinny old man was shocked, his expression full of astonishment.

"How so? Doesn't it seem like it?"

"Not really."

"I won't lend you money, but if you want a Ba Wen life-extending Dan, I can refine one for you." Ye Chen chuckled, then added, "Of course, it's not free. That's the rule for dan refiners—there's a commission fee. I don't want yuan stones or artifacts; I just want your Nanming Lihuo. Otherwise, no deal."

"Your appetite is way too big." The skinny old man scowled.

Ye Chen laughed and turned to look at him. "You need to understand, that's a Ba Wen life-extending Jindan. Its level is infinitely close to a Jiu Wen Xian Dan. I dare say, across all the myriad domains and heavens, fewer than three people could refine it. You can ask other dan refiners—if their commission is less than mine, I'll refine it for you for free, no questions asked."

The skinny old man fell silent, his brows furrowed.

Just as Ye Chen said, he had tried asking dan refiners before to make a Ba Wen life-extending Dan, but their fees were even more terrifying than death itself. More importantly, most of those dan refiners had perished in the tribulations, and it was uncertain if any had survived.

"You're not a dan refiner, so what use is true fire to you?" Ye Chen coaxed.

"Don't mess around; this old man relies on it for a living." The skinny old man coughed dryly.

"Take a strand of Nanming Lihuo's essence, fuse it into beast fire, and you're done. You can keep scamming with it for years." Ye Chen shrugged.

"How did you know?" The skinny old man was surprised.

"Because the one who bought your 'true fire' last night was me."

"You're kidding." The skinny old man twitched his mouth, his expression a mix of amusement and disbelief. He couldn't help sizing up Ye Chen again. If not for this revelation, he wouldn't have realized they were so fated.

"So, the Ba Wen life-extending Dan or Nanming Lihuo—which do you choose?" Ye Chen asked, biting into a spirit fruit.

"The dan." The skinny old man gritted his teeth.

"That's the spirit!" Ye Chen said cheerfully. He couldn't refine a Jiu Wen Dan, but Ba Wen Dan was straightforward for him. With the Dan Zun fallen and the Dan Huang destroyed, and most high-level dan refiners lost in the tribulations, as a Dan Saint, he was the top figure in the dan-refining world.

The skinny old man said nothing more, just bowed his head and stared at his dantian sea.

That Nanming Lihuo had been with him for thousands of years, like a family member. But with his lifespan running out, to live a few more years, he had to let it go. The choice was cruel.

After a moment, he looked up and glanced stealthily at Ye Chen.

For some reason, he felt that the person sitting beside him had a certain magnetism, or perhaps confidence, that made him unable to resist believing him. He could refine the Ba Wen life-extending Dan. Deep down, he realized this masked young man was his benefactor.

"Eight million," an old man bid.

"Beat you by ten million; I'll go nine million."

"One billion."

While the skinny old man was lost in thought, the auction for the Ba Wen life-extending Dan had reached its peak. The elders were all going crazy, bidding frantically, as if they were willing to wager everything.

Ye Chen quietly sipped his wine and observed.

What he focused on were the Honghuang Zhundi. He could tell they were lying low, all eyeing the Ba Wen life-extending Jindan. The real competition wasn't among the various heaven cultivators—it was them. When it came to wealth, the people of the heavens were worlds apart from Honghuang.

"Wanting that dan will come at a price," Ye Chen sneered.

He was already prepared to stir things up. Causing chaos was his specialty. He had calculated their limits—that was knowing your enemy. His reputation as a master schemer wasn't for nothing.

"One billion nine hundred million." Amid the fierce bidding, a cold snort echoed through the venue.

The words silenced the noisy Youming Pavilion in an instant. Many elders shook their heads helplessly, while the younger ones swallowed hard. The price of the Ba Wen life-extending Jindan had already surpassed that of the earlier Zijin small gourd. For the sake of extending their lives, these old folks were going all out.

Looking toward the bidder, he was in the corner, shrouded in a black robe.

Many turned to look, but they couldn't see through his aura. They only knew he was a Zhundi, and one whose lifespan was nearly spent; otherwise, he wouldn't bid so desperately.

"Any higher bids?" the Youming elder asked, scanning the crowd.

His words met with no response. Those who wanted to bid simply couldn't afford it. The elders had been outbid, let alone the juniors. This was a Zhundi-level opponent—who could compete with him in wealth?

"Even without higher bids, this Ba Wen life-extending Jindan will go to—"

"One billion nine hundred million and you think you can take the life-extending Dan? How optimistic." Before the Youming elder could finish, a mocking laugh suddenly rang out from the east, from Taotu Zhundi. He was lounging casually in his seat, twirling a ring on his finger with ease.

"This king bids two billion," Taotu said with a smirk.

The remark made the black-robed Zhundi lower his eyes in despair, sighing deeply. With Honghuang involved, he had no chance.

He gave up directly, and the other heaven cultivators had no intention of bidding higher.

Everyone understood that the auction for the Ba Wen life-extending Jindan was just beginning in earnest. The competitors would be the Honghuang powerhouses. When it came to wealth, it had to be Honghuang. These minor players, even the Zhundi among them, were no match. If Honghuang wanted it, no one could take the dan.

That was the way of the world—cruel comparisons that crushed people.